


Centuries in the Making

by UNCPanda



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Baby, F/M, New Orleans, Pregnancy, Romance, Soulmates, Vampires, Witches, protective Elijah, soul marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:42:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24815518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UNCPanda/pseuds/UNCPanda
Summary: An average human, an Original Vampire, and a bond so strong no magic can break it. New Orleans is in for a hell of a ride.
Relationships: Elijah Mikaelson/Original Female Character(s), Elijah Mikaelson/You, elijah mikaelson/ reader
Comments: 31
Kudos: 212





	1. Chapter 1

“You know, eight months ago I would have freaked at coming home and finding two shelves in my refrigerator filled with blood.”

Rebekah grins at you, “Yes, well, you’ve come a long way. I’m very proud.” 

You resist the urge to roll your eyes at the woman, before pulling out a bottle of water and closing the door. “Where’s Hope?” 

“Fast asleep like the angel she is.” 

This time you can’t resist the urge, you roll your eyes, “Says the woman who refuses to deal with the crying fits.” 

You watch her pout, “I’m a vampire. Sensitive hearing and all that. Plus you’re very good with her.” 

You stare her down, “You’re spoiled.” 

She shrugs, “Guilty as charged.” You say nothing else, choosing to return to your room instead. You have lesson plans to complete, and little time for games. Especially supernatural games. Unfortunately, the supernatural seemed out to get you. 

Eight months ago you had been oblivious to the secret world around you. You’d been able to move through the streets without looking for signs of vampires or witches. In fact, the only thing you had been looking for was a roommate. Enter Rebekah Mikaelson. 

She had strolled up to your door like she already owned the place, a small infant in her arms. You had gone through the motions of showing her around the apartment and were ready to show her out after the fourth snarky comment, when she had looked you in the eyes and simply said, I’m staying. That had been the first time you’d been compelled. The second time came seconds later when she told you to offer your neck, and stay quiet. The fangs had hurt, enough that you had wanted to cry out, but you had found yourself unable to say anything. Her story had come out over the next several weeks. Original vampires. Witches. Evil parents. New Orleans. It had been a lot to absorb. You’d simply been grateful that she hadn’t sunk her teeth into you again. 

Still, more often than not you found Rebekah to be more of a pain than a villain. She was lonely and unsure of herself. Conscious of the eyes on her. She reminded you of a middle schooler in that way. Still trying to find out who she was. If there was one thing she was certain of, it was her love for that baby. 

The child rarely left her sight, and the only true times you dealt with the crying fits were when she was off feeding, or the supply in the fridge was running low. Other than that you had little interaction with Hope. And you were okay with that.

You spend two more hours completing lesson plans before deciding to call it a night. You retreat to the shower, moving quietly past Rebekah and Hope’s room, before stripping. The water is scalding hot, something you prefer in cooler months. You take your time enjoying the spray before ending the bliss. 

You towel dry your hair, and like always, that catches your eye. It’s elegant. Refined. A type of handwriting you don’t see anymore. I’ve waited centuries to hear those words. You tug the towel up so that you can’t see it anymore. There were too many questions there. Too much unknown, and you had more than enough of that at the moment. 

You don’t bother with the hair dryer. Instead, you pull on a hoodie and your favorite pajama pants. That’s when you hear it. Glass breaking, things being knocked over, people yelling. You stumble into the living room to find Rebekah dripping in blood, bodies on the surrounding floor. The veins around her eyes are dark, and seconds later she’s in front of you. You watch her pupils expand, and the familiar weight of compulsion settles around you, “Take Hope and drive to New Orleans. Stop for nothing. You are to go to a restaurant called Russeus. Ask for Cami. Tell her I sent you.” 

As her orders settle on you, more men come through the window. With a growl, she turns to face them, and you run to the baby. She’s awake. Quiet, but awake. You cradle her to you gently, before grabbing the diaper bag and flee. You run down three flights of stairs before making it to the car. 

You strap the baby into her car seat, climb into the driver’s seat and turn the key. The engine comes to life, and you pull out of the garage moments later. It’s an eight-hour drive, and by the time you enter New Orleans, you feel as though you’re dying. 

By the time you park, you’re painfully aware that you’re dressed only in pajama pants and a sweatshirt. You’re simply grateful you’d had time to slip on a pair of flats before leaving the apartment. The walk to Rousseau's is short and filled with people. The streets are packed, and the lights are lit, and one glance at Hope shows that that baby is mesmerized by it all. 

The restaurant is filled with the smells of Cajun food and makes the fact that you haven’t eaten in nine hours more apparent. You settle the baby carrier onto the bar and wait to be noticed. The bartender smiles at you, and then peers to look at the baby. Her name tag catches your eyes, and a wave of relief settles over you. Your voice is a bit hesitant, as you ask, “Are you Cami?” 

The woman’s smile is easy, “That’s me, how can I help you?” 

You take a shaky breath, “My name is Y/F/N Y/L/N, Rebekah Mikaelson sent me. She said you could contact the necessary people to help Hope.” 

Her eyes go wide, “You know Rebekah?” 

“Roommate of eight months. You?” 

“Her brother’s psychiatrist.” 

You just feel tired, “A vamp with a shrink… that’s…” 

She nods, “Trust me, I know. Compulsion?” 

You nod, and she scowls before throwing a rag on the bar. “Wait here.” You watch her disappear into the back before re-appearing. She motions towards the door with her head, and you follow her. 

You stick close as she weaves through the people on the streets. 

When she goes through a large gate, you follow. She stops in the middle before yelling, “Klaus get out here, right now.” 

It’s similar to a magic trick, the way he appears. Or maybe a predator looking for a snack. He stares at you with interest, and you hug the baby carrier closer. His eyes immediately go to it. The snarl of rage comes a moment later, and then you find yourself flying. You hit the far wall, and pain explodes over your body. “Klaus don’t.” 

You look up to see him standing over you, the baby carrier safely in Cami’s arms. You whimper when he picks you up using your neck. His hand tightens, and your ears start to ring. From the corner of your eye, you see Cami say something. Then, suddenly, his hand is gone, and you suck in as much air as possible. 

You collapse against the floor, the palms of your hand scraping against the tile. You look at the newcomer. He’s dressed in a three-piece suit that has to cost more than your car. You watch as he studies you for a moment, before crouching down to eye level. 

“And why, dear brother have you stopped me from killing this intruder?” You glare at your attacker, before drawing whatever strength you have left, “Rebekah sent me. She gave me Hope, and told me to come here..” 

You watch as they both stiffen, and the more brutish one takes a step forward, “What did she just say?” You don’t say anything, and he takes a step forward, and you shrink back. “What did you just say?” 

You stutter the words out, “Rebekah sent me. She gave me Hope, and told me to come here.” 

A second later, you feel a finger brush against your cheek, as the man crouching in front of you brushes the hair away from your face. His voice is a whisper, as he says “I’ve waited centuries to hear those words.”


	2. Chapter 2

Your grandmother had always said that fate knew what it was doing. That all you needed to do was believe, and everything would turn out okay. You couldn't help but wonder if your grandmother would still think that if she knew just how dangerous the world really was. 

Maybe that made you a bit jaded. But, you figured you could be a little jaded after rooming with a vampire for eight months, being forced to flee from some supernatural invading force, nearly being killed by your roommate’s brother, and then finding out another vampire was your soulmate.

Maybe if you stayed in bed and hid under the covers, everything would go away. While highly unlikely, you decided it was worth a try. Or you would have, if people hadn’t been yelling on the other side of the door. 

“You do realize that this is a trick, Elijah. It’s our mother trying to get under your skin. It’s one of her little mind games!” 

“Niklaus…” The voice was soft, but firm, and it made you want… something. 

“She knows how much you value those words Elijah. How you ached for the person who would say them when we were human. And how many times have you stared at those words over the cenutires? There has never been a vampire with a soulmate, Simply because we have no soul left.” 

You felt your heart speed up as a moment of silence lapsed between them. “I feel the pull, Niklaus. And you know I would never say that lightly.” 

“Elijah.” 

“Would the words convince you?” 

“Excuse me?” 

“If my words are on her skin, written in my hand, sealed with a magic so strong and sacred that not even vampirism could eliminate them; would you accept it then?” 

There is another moment of silence before he asks, “Are we bargaining now brother?” 

“Not at all, it’s simply me trying to call you to your senses. Of course, why I would think you’d come to them now, after a thousand years, I don’t know.” 

“It is rather foolish of you.” 

His voice is soft when he speaks, “I’ve lived a thousand years without my other half, Niklaus. Seeing her now, feeling the pull, feeling that magic… this is real, brother.” 

You hear a slight growl before he says, “Well then… let’s see those words. Come on out, little snoop.” It takes everything you have not to squeak like a mouse, and instead of heading to the door, you stay rooted to the bed.

After a minute, the door creaks open to reveal the owners of the voices. The one who had tried to kill you earlier, Niklaus, stares at you for a moment before scowling. “Are you going to hide there like a five year old or be an adult and come here?” Your eyes flicker to the other man, Elijah. He gives you a small smile, before holding out his hand. Slowly, you climb out of the bed, realizing for the first time that someone had changed you into an oversized tee-shirt and sweatpants that were too big. You walk towards them slowly, until you’re only a few inches away. Slowly, you pull the collar of the shirt to the side to reveal the scrawl that had taken up residence above your left breast when you’d turned sixteen. 

“Shit.” You jump a bit at the quiet exclamation, before pulling the shirt back over the words. You watch as he turns to Elijah, “Show me yours.” You watch as the man carefully rolls up the cuff of his sleeve. You stare at the words there, scribbled in your worst handwriting. Niklaus curses again, “When they’re this close I can feel the magic. Damn it, Elijah, that’s ANOTHER target on our backs.” 

You watch as Elijah smirks, “So you’re not denying it?” 

“Of course not. I can feel the magic in the air at this point. We need a witch and a spell to hide it. We can’t have you two walking around with magic seeping from you. We can only guess what happens if you actually seal the bond. Honestly, some days you’re a bigger headache than you’re worth, brother.” He turns to you, “Looks like you’re stuck with us now love.” 

Your lips pucker slightly, “Goody.” 

He sighs, before stepping back, “Well then, I’ll leave you two to it.” 

Elijah’s voice is calm, “And where are you going?” 

Niklaus smiles, “To find a witch that our mother doesn’t have her claws in. Perhaps our youngest brother? I’m sure he’d get a kick out of this.” And without another word, you watch him disappear. You sag in relief. 

Elijah turns to you, “I’m sorry about Niklaus. He doesn’t do well with change. He’ll warm up to you eventually.” 

You nod once, before wrapping your arms around yourself. A moment later you feel fingers glide across your cheek. You look up into brown eyes, and watch as they study your face, “Your wounds are closed. I imagine any damage Klaus managed to inflict is now gone.” 

You swallow once, “How?” 

His answer is simple, “My blood.” 

You nod, before shifting your eyes away from his, you feel his fingers travel down your neck before stopping at the collar of your shirt. “May I?” his voice is soft. You nod, and feel the fabric of the shirt glide across your skin, before his fingers ghost across your collarbone, and you feel a slight tingle as he traces the words. “It’s not my best hand writing I’m afraid.” 

You smile, before nodding towards his forearm, where the cuff of his shirt is still rolled up, “You got my bad teacher scrawl.” 

You watch his lips quirk, before he adjusts the collar of the shirt. Carefully, he offers you his arm. Hesitantly, you take it, and trace the familiar writing with one of your fingers. When you look up, you find him looking at you. You offer him a small smile, “Who said fate doesn’t have sense of humor?”


	3. Chapter 3

“Human?” 

“Yes, human.” 

“And you’re quite sure she’s not a witch?” 

“Positive.” 

You hear a chuckle from where you've hidden, “Well mother nature certainly can be a bitch, can’t she? How do you plan on protecting the poor thing? Are you going to change her?” 

“That is neither here nor there at the moment. All we need right now is a cloaking spell to hide the magic.” 

“There is no hiding the magic.” 

“Why not?” The question pops out of your mouth before you can stop it. Then again, maybe some part of you didn’t want to stop it. You’d been gone all of thirty minutes, only to shower and change, and had come back to find the room empty. A quick stroll had led you to the court yard where Elijah, Klaus and a teenager were holding another discussion about your life. You deserved to be a part of it.

When you step from your hiding place, you’re greeted with a scowl from Klaus, “Could you please tell me where a grown woman got such a penchant for snooping?” 

You stare at him, “A desire to know what exactly will be happening to my life.” 

“You got a sassy one, Elijah.” 

Your soulmate’s lips twitch, “Apparently. Y/N this is my younger brother, Kol. He’s a witch.” 

You give the new addition a small smile, and he grins at you, “What do you know about the soulmark’s origin?” 

You slide your hands into the pockets of your pants, “Not much. The general mythology.” 

He nods, “Forget it all. It’s crap. The marks were invented by witches. Witches older than even our mother.” 

You straighten a bit, “Older than the first witch?” 

He stares at you for a moment, “You know our story?” 

“Bits and pieces. I was Rebekah’s roommate for eight months. Apparently, she needed to vent.” 

Kol smirks, “After a thousand years with Nik, I can’t really blame her. What about you, love? What’s your story?” 

“A story for another time.” 

He grins at you, “All right, answer me this, where is sister dearest?” 

You slide your hands out of your pockets to cross them against your chest. You couldn’t tell him even if you wanted to. The compulsion was still in effect. 

“Alright, fine, don’t tell me. Not as though I’m surprised.” You can hear the anger and frustration in his voice.

And from the looks of things Klaus didn’t care, “Yes, yes. The poor neglected brother. On with the story.” 

Kol’s scowl spoke legions, “And why should I? You don’t trust me with your secrets, why should you trust my information?” 

There was a moment of silence before Elijah spoke, his voice a facade of calm, “Because, little brother, information is power. Power that I can use to protect the other half of my soul, and if you deny me that power, I will snap your neck. And as you no longer hold the durability you once did, I imagine that option doesn't appeal to you." 

You focus on Elijah, there's anger there, and before you can stop you find yourself walking towards him, as though something is pulling you forward. You take his hand in yours, and lean ever so slightly against him. For just a second, you see a hint of surprise, before he laces his fingers with yours, and leans ever so slightly into you. He positions himself so that he’s standing slightly in front of you. 

Your eyes flicker back to Kol, “Well, shit.” he runs a hand through his hair before taking a seat at the table. “The soulmark bond is old. Older than us, and nearly as old as time. It’s old magic, good magic, created from a willing sacrifice. Supposedly, every person is born with another half. This other half is supposed to your equal or your perfect match. It allows for a bond to be put in place. That bond, in the case of witches, amplified their power.

They could then use that power to protect their covens and their families. The more pairs they had, the better off they would be. Of course, these pairs were limited. There was no true way to tell who your soulmate was until you were joined. 

So they had an idea. What if you could tell who your soulmate was with the first words you ever spoke to them? A pair of soulmates in a coven decided to create runes that showed compatibility, that would appear on a person’s sixteenth birthday. The first words their soulmate would ever say to them. The magic would surround them, alert them to the fact. Once the connection was made, there would be a pull, and after they joined, there would be a bond.

So, a pair of soulmates, a pair who had completed the bond and strengthened it over years, decided to make a willing sacrifice. They performed a ritual, and surrendered their lives. And thus, the spell was born. 

At first, the marks were just runes, but as time evolved, and writing systems evolved as well, the magic evolved with it. Eventually, the runes began to become the first words that were spoken. And eventually, they began to be written in the soulmate’s hand. Originally, the spell was only meant for witches, but instead it was cast over all humanity. After all, not all of the matches were going to be two witches. 

That desire to be with each other, to be near each other, it’s all a part of the spell. You want to be close to each other, the magic is calling for you to complete the bond.” 

You’re surprised at how steady your voice is when you ask, “What does it mean to complete the bond?” 

Kol’s grin is devilish, “Sex, love. Joining of two bodies and souls and all that jazz. It forms the bond.” 

“And what is the bond itself?” Elijah’s voice is steady, as his thumb rubs back and forth against the top of your hand.

Kol shrugs, “It’s different for each pair. It’s what the pair needs.” 

“And there’s no way to hide it? To protect her?” 

Kol shakes his head, “It’s powerful magic Elijah. Light magic. A part of nature. To lose one’s soulmate is to lose a part of themself. It’s something to be celebrated Elijah. It’s so strong that even vampires aren’t cut off from it. That being said, like everything else, I imagine it’s amplified for you. That would explain the intense protective streak.” 

“Well that’s just lovely,” Klaus’s voice is filled with sarcasm, “A great giant magic beacon, pointing straight at our home.” 

You’re surprised when Kol snaps back, “The bond is sacred, Nik. A part of nature itself. No self-respecting witch would mess with the bond. Not even our crazy mother.” 

Klaus’ smile is menacing, “Because we’re surrounded by self-respecting witches.” 

You watch as Kol slowly stands up, never breaking eye contact with Klaus. Elijah simply squeezes your hand once before saying, “That is enough, children.” 

Kol simply sighs, “Well, I’ve done all I can. I’ll just see myself out.” You watch him walk towards the door, and right before he’s about to leave, he pauses. He turns to you and Elijah and says, “The bond will need to be completed. The magic surrounding you two is too strong for either to walk away.” His attention turns to Elijah, “Looks like the thousand years were worth the wait.” And without another word, you watch him leave.


	4. Chapter 4

You find yourself unable to sleep. Despite the big bed, the soft mattress, and the exhausting past few days, you find yourself restless. Your mind is running with the information Kol had given, an you can't seem to stop thinking about it. You were someone who liked to have a plan. You wanted to know your next move, and that simply wasn’t an. 

Elijah had been forced to leave shortly after Kol, some emergency a few blocks away that had to be dealt with. He’d left with several backwards glances, and you’d been left with a hollow feeling. And now, here you were, longing for him. You felt that tug, telling you to go hunt his ass down, and snuggle into his arms. And a part of that bugged you. 

You didn’t know the man. Didn’t know his birthday, his favorite color, or favorite song. All you knew was that he was an ancient vampire, with several very annoying siblings. Still, when two days pass without him showing up, a pit settles in your stomach. You do your best to set it aside, and at some point Klaus puts you on babysitting duty. 

You’re fine with that. You keep Hope with you at all times. It keeps your mind off of your missing soulmate, and makes you feel somewhat accomplished at keeping her safe. The fact that Klaus is also scarce helps things. The hybrid terrifies you. 

You make your way out of your bed and to the nursery. You smile at Hope, fast asleep, and that’s when the pain hits. It’s a soul wrenching pain that brings you to your knees. Fire burns around your heart, and pain floods your body. You drop to your knees and the pain of bone hitting wood doesn't even compare. When your cries wake the baby, you do your best to smother them, right up until you pass out. 

That’s how Klaus finds you; unconscious on the floor, with Hope crying in her crib. He watches from the corner of his eye as Hayley rushes to their daughter, scoops her into her arms, and holds her close. He’d done the same after Elijah had taken you to his room. He had held her close, knowing that his time was limited. But from the looks of you, his brother’s time was even more so. 

“Who is she?” Hayley’s voice is soft, hoarse with the unshed tears of seeing her daughter again. 

Klaus meets her eyes as he scoops you into his arms, “Rebekah’s roommate, Hope’s babysitter, and Elijah’s long lost soulmate.” 

He leaves her in the room with a look of shock on her face, and returns you to Elijah’s bed. He waits for you to wake up, and luckily for him, it doesn’t take very long. 

The first words that leave your lips are, “Elijah’s in trouble.” 

Klaus simply nods, “Yes. I knew that, love. Our mother has taken him hostage. She hates all of us for being the abominations she's turned us into. She wants redemption and a lot of other bull shit that only comes from sociopaths. It's all quite repetitive at this point. Trouble is, we haven't been able to find him. Can you do it? Utilize a bit of soulmate GPS perhaps?” 

You move to a sitting position, your neck sore from the position you had collapsed in. “Maybe. I feel the pull. The need to go to him. If we get close enough, maybe. . . ” 

He smiles, and it makes you feel like prey, “Then let’s see if Kol was right. Little brat ran off with the local harvest girl and set my father loose on the city. Nothing he says can be trusted.” 

You slide out of the bed and towards the closet that had been stocked with some new clothes. You slip in long enough to pull on some jeans, a tee-shirt, and sneakers. Stepping out, you simply say, “Let’s see if this witchy magic is really all that.” 

New Orleans during the day is a stark contrast to New Orleans at night. It seems slightly more normal, if it weren’t for the Hybrid following you. “Well?” 

You glance back at him, “I’m not a bloodhound, Niklaus. I’m doing the best that I can.” 

“Your best isn’t working.” 

“Well, maybe if you’d hush…”

The irritated growl makes you want to run. Instead, you take a deep breath and focus on the pull. So far, it had led you into witch territory, and that alone had made Klaus irritable. But the more prominent the pull became, the deeper into witch territory you went. Right until you stood outside of Lafayette Cemetery.

Your eyes flicker to Klaus who is glaring at the entrance, “Why does it always have to be cemeteries with these witches? A park every once in awhile would be wonderful.” 

You move forward without answering, stepping through the gate, only to find Klaus still outside. You don’t bother voicing the question, he understands, “I can’t come in. There’s a protection spell in place. No Vampires may enter. You keep going love, I’ll see if I can draw the attention of the hounds that are inside.” 

In normal circumstances, you’d refuse but the pull, the need, is so strong, that you couldn’t stop even if you’d wanted to. Your heart beats furiously as you follow the pull. You do your best to not jump at any little sound. It’s only when you reach the outside of a tomb that the pull becomes more physical. 

You’re careful as you walk inside. The smell of blood and incense assault your nose, and as you move further inside, you listen for someone else. Anyone else. Carefully you peak around the corner and your heart breaks at what you see there. Elijah is hanging by chains, his knees are on the ground, and his eyes are closed. Your soul screams, and part of you wants to verbalize, a part of you wants his mother dead, and that terrifies you, because you've never wanted someone to suffer. 

The distance to him is nothing. You're in front of him in a number of steps, and your hands hover over him, not quite sure what to do. "So, they've sent a little human to free my son. I'll admit I wasn't expecting that. No doubt compulsion. Either way, I imagine you don't matter all that much." 

Pain sets your mind on fire and you fall to your knees, you can feel blood start to stream out of your nose, and in some recess of your mind you wonder, how this woman can claim her children are monsters when she's just as bad. All you know, is that if you're going to die, you won't do so without letting Elijah know that you care about him. You turn, in agony to face him, and when you fall forward you collapse into him. That’s when you feel the magic surge. It’s almost like water boiling over, and as the blast goes outward, the pain goes with is and you wrap your arms around Elijah’s neck, and cling to him as the magic blasts the threat away. 

You hear chains snap, his arms encircle you, when you look up, his eyes are open and your body sags in relief. Your feet leave the floor, as he picks you up. Briefly, over his shoulder, you meet his mother's gaze. It’s shocked, but knowing. And then you’re outside, back under the moon. You’re still in the cemetery, just a different part. 

Your feet touch the ground and Elijah sags. You do your best to support him, as he slowly lowers himself to the ground. His voice is hoarse, “You need to go.” 

“We need to go.The phrase you're looking for is WE need to go.” 

He shakes his head, “There’s a spell in place. No vampires in or out until the sun rises. It’s not safe for you here.” 

You nod, “That thought crossed my mind when I came across werewolves, you in chains, and of course when your mother tried to melt my brain. However, this is where you get your first lesson on me, I don't abandon those I care about. And you . . . you fall in that category. In time, I'm willing to bet you'll be number one. So, WE need a plan.” 

He slides down into a sitting position against one of the tombs, and you follow suit. You pull your knees to your chest as silence envelops between the two of you. The moon is high in the sky. “When’s the last time you fed?” The words slip out in a whisper. 

“Two days. I’ll be fine for one more.” 

“If you need . . .” 

“No.” The word is a bit harsh, and strained. And you can’t help but wince. A moment later he whispers the word, “No. Not from you.” 

You don’t push the issue, instead you ask, “What’s your favorite color?” 

He blinks several times before a smile quirks on his lips, “Excuse me?” 

You smile at him, “We’re stuck in a cemetery until tonight. Something tells me we’ll spend that time dodging werewolves and witches. We might as well take what little down time we have, to get to know each other.” 

He lets out a laugh, before answering, “Green.” 

You smile, “What shade? Lime? Hunter?” 

He smiles, “The green of new leaves in spring.” 

“Very poetic.” 

He shrugs, “I’ve had years of practice. But in this case, I’m completely serious. When I was a boy and spring would come after the harsh winters, I’d spend as much time as I could outside. I remember measuring the progress of the trees. It would take a few weeks but eventually the trees would be full of these green leaves, until they created a canopy up above. I would sleep in the shade.” 

“When’s the last time you did that?” 

“Over a thousand years ago.” 

You nod, and silence settles between you. “And what about you?”

The question doesn’t need any explanation, “Yellow. A pale yellow. It was my mom’s favorite color, and our kitchen was painted that color. Some of my favorite childhood memories are in that kitchen. She is really good at baking." 

"And what about you?" 

"I can hold my own. If you're lucky maybe one day I'll make you something." 

His smile is slow, "I'm fairly confident I could persuade you." 

You blush, and you hope in the dark that he can't see it. You finger his shirt, which is ripped and covered in blood, "Not dressed like that." 

He leans in, so close that his breath fans over your face, "When this is over I promise that I will put on my best suit, and we will have a night you will never forget?" 

"A night more memorable than evading werewolves, and rescuing my soulmate?"

"You have my word." 

Before he can respond, the sound of footsteps approaching has you both getting to your feet. And as you start running, your only thought is that this is going to be a long day.


	5. Chapter 5

“Does this count as our first date?” The words come out in between gasps for air. 

You’re both tired and covered in dirt and grime. Elijah laughs, “No. I refuse to let this count as a date, much less our first date.

You smile, “And why’s that? It would be a fun story to tell down the line. Oh, our first date? It was spent asking each other questions while we ran from witches and werewolves in a cemetery. It was very romantic.” 

He stares at you, “That . . . is not happening. My reputation would be shot.” 

“That concerned about your image, Mr. Mikaelson?” 

He looks you in the eye, “Only when it comes to you.” You smile at him, and as the sound of footsteps hits your ears, he offers you his hand and you take off running. . . again. You’d been dodging werewolves for the past six hours, and you were more than ready for a nice shower, maybe a bubble bath, and then a very long sleep. 

Still, you were impressed with yourself. You weren’t someone who worked out constantly. Actually you tried to avoid exercise like the plague, but you had kept up well enough. Elijah was too weak to fight and protect you at the moment. He hadn’t fed in nearly two days, and you knew he was reaching his limit. Your eyes flicked to the sky, you only had to last one more hour. Then the spell would be broken. 

You duck behind another set of tombs, and he pulls you flush against his body. He puts a finger to his lips, and you nod. You press as close to him as you can get, his arm hugging you tightly to his body. When he relaxes slightly, you pull back, “It’s your turn.” 

He closes his eyes for a minute, “What is your ideal date?” 

You smile, The two of you had spent what little down time you had, exchanging questions, learning more about one another. Your answer comes easy, “Dinner and dancing. What about you?” 

He gives a small smirk, “You’ll find out soon.” 

“I look forward to it.” 

You can hear the shouts some distance away, “You’d think they would have caught us by now.” you murmur. 

“I suspect that they’re simply putting on a show at this point. They owe me a bit of a favor.” 

You raise an eyebrow, “A favor? For what?” 

He peers around the tomb, “I stopped my mother from activating the curse in the youngest wolves. That’s how I got into this mess.” 

You hesitate for a minute, “Why’d you help them? Rebekah always made it seem like wolves weren’t to be messed with.” 

He lets out a sigh, “Hayley, Hope’s mother, asked for my help.” 

You give a small smile, “Hayley, as in the woman you were in love with?” 

He looks heavenward, as though he’s asking God for patience, “My sister needs to learn to keep her mouth closed.” 

You lift your hand and wipe off some dirt above his eye, “It’s okay to have had feelings for her, to still have them. The bond doesn’t erase things like that. We both feel it, and I’m fairly certain we both want to act on them, but if you need time . . .” 

He kisses you before you can finish. When he pulls back he whispers, “I still care for Hayley. As Hope’s mother she is a part of our family. But, you are mine and I am yours, and that is how things are supposed to be. What I feel for you, the magic that binds us, and ties my soul to yours is so much stronger. If today has shown me anything, it is that we are meant to be one.” 

You swallow the lump in your throat, before nodding. Then you push your lips back against his, and your fingers tangle in his hair. His arms wrap around you, and you’re pulled flush against his body. When you pull back you’re breathless. You look up at the sky as the sun starts to come out, “It’s morning.” 

He smiles, it’s a little roguish, and it makes your heart flutter. He pecks your lips one more time, before he takes your hand and threads his fingers through yours. “So it is. Shall we go home?” 

You nod, and the two of you start walking. You’ve almost made it to the gate when Elijah’s head turns ever so slightly. He lets out a growl, “Niklaus.” 

“Is he okay?” 

“He’s with my mother. I can hear them. Get out of the cemetery, and go to Reussaus. I’ll meet you there in five minutes.” 

“Elijah . . .” 

“Please Y/N, I don’t want you anywhere near her. She’s dangerous, and I fear what she’ll do to you, to get to me.” 

You nod once, and he takes your hand and kisses your knuckles. A second later, he’s gone. You step through the gate and back onto the New Orleans streets. It doesn’t take you long to get to the bar. And once you’re there, you settle in at the bar. “Word through the grapevine, is that you’ve had a rough day.” 

You look up and smile at the familiar blonde, “I look that bad hunh?” 

Cami smiles at you, “This is New Orleans, no one cares I assure you, but Klaus told me what was going on.You want a drink?” 

That explained why the bar was open at the crack of dawn. You shake your head, “I don’t drink.” 

Her smile is easy, “With this family you may want to start.” 

“I’ll pass.” 

She smiles, “I’ll bring you some food. I imagine you’re hungry.” You allow yourself to relax as you wait. You munch on peanuts for a few minutes, until a hand ghosts across your back. Turning, you meet Elijah’s gaze. His clothes are bloody and torn, and you’re suddenly very grateful that with the exception of the two of you the bar is empty.

He’s tense, you can see it. Placing a hand on his cheek you ask, “Is everything okay?” 

He kisses the back of your hand, “Everything will be fine. In the meantime Niklaus will take you home. I need to feed, and that is best done away from home.” 

You nod, “Okay.” 

He smiles, and places a kiss on your cheek, then your other cheek, then your forehead, then the tip of your nose, and finally your lips. He smiles as he pulls back, “Go home, shower, order whatever you’d like for dinner, and we’ll talk some more when I get back.” 

You nod, and the next moment he’s gone. “You’ve turned my brother into a love sick idiot.” 

You jump at the addition of the new voice, scowling you turn to look at Klaus. He’s bloody and somewhat bruised, “What happened to you?” 

“A fight with my birth father, who should be dead, and another fight with my mother, who should also be dead.” 

“Life not working out how you planned?” 

“Not in the past thousand years love.” And with that the two of you head back to the compound. 

When you get out of the shower, he’s there waiting for you, laid out on the bed with a book in his hand. He’s clean and dressed in sweatpants and a long sleeve tee-shirt. “You look better, much less gray..” 

He smiles, and you climb on to the bed next to him. His arms wrap around you and you snuggle into the embrace. He kisses the top of your head. “It feels so natural.” 

You take in a deep breath, “Like breathing.” You agree. 

He hmms, “Would you mind if I stayed here tonight? If I simply held you while we slept.” 

You close your eyes, feeling warm, safe, and loved, “If you go, I go.” And with that you fall into the most peaceful sleep you had ever had.


	6. Chapter 6

You move around the kitchen as quietly as you can, painfully aware that you’re in a house full of vampires. Despite this fact, when you turn around to find a woman watching you, you nearly have a heart attack. 

She gives you a small smile, “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” 

You place a hand over your heart, “It’s becoming the norm.” That’s when you notice Hope in her arms. You give her a small smile, “You must be Hayley, Hope’s mother. Rebekah told me about you.” 

She smiles back, “And you must be Y/N. Klaus gave me about three sentences of information on you.” 

You shrug, “Not much to tell, to be honest.” 

She takes a seat, Hope still fast asleep in her arms, “Soulmate to one of the original vampires, Rebekah’s roommate for eight months, my daughter’s babysitter? There has to be something else there.” 

You shrug, “Sorry to disappoint.” 

“What about your family?” 

You smile, and slide the plate of food you’d made in front of her, “Woefully normal. They run a small business, in a small town, in Georgia.” 

“Siblings?” 

You nod, “Three older brothers, all married with kids.” 

“So, you’re the youngest?” 

You nod, “I go back about twice a year, spoil my nieces and nephews rotten, fill them up on sugar, and then run out of town.” 

She lets out a laugh, “So slightly diabolical. You’ll fit in well.” She takes a bite of the eggs with her free hand and lets out a groan, “This is amazing.” 

“Mama made sure all her kids knew how to cook. My brother Lionel is the best. Owns a small restaurant in town. It’s always packed.” She simply takes another bite of food and you start fixing more. The kitchen remains quiet except for the sound of eggs in the skillet, right up until Klaus walks in. 

He’s wearing a grin that you know means trouble, “Good morning, all.” 

Seamlessly, Hayley passes Hope to her father, and you can see the suspicion on her face, “And why are you in such a good mood?” 

“The planning of a murder always puts me in a good mood. As the mother of my child, you should know that. What doesn’t put me in a good mood is finding out that you left our daughter in the hands of an elderly wolf while you went and saved a traitor with a man who is apparently my biological father raised from the dead.” 

You move the food off the heat, and move across the kitchen. You take Hope from her father’s arms and you’re more than a little surprised to find that he simply passes her to you. Fully awake now, the baby snuggles into your chest while her parents argue. You bounce her, and when the first punch flies, you immediately head up stairs. 

You take her into your room, and find Elijah there. He’s awake and dressed, and he smiles at the sight of you. “I see we have a visitor.” 

You pass the baby to Elijah, “Hayley and Klaus are fighting, apparently his father is back from the dead.” 

He nods, “That’s what my brother was confronting my mother about last night. It’s her bribe to get him to accept her deal.” 

You sit at the end of the bed “To become human?”

He nods, and sits next to you, “Indeed… you seem to be handling this all very well.” 

“Surprises me, too. I imagine a freakout will come at some point. Just not yet.” There’s the sound of crashes down stairs, and Hope’s lips start to pucker. Your hands immediately go to your face for an impromptu game of peekaboo. It keeps the baby calm until the crashes stop, and her mother comes to the door. 

Her clothes are tattered, and her hair is in disarray. She smiles at you, “Thanks for getting her out of there.”   
“No problem.” She takes the baby from Elijah’s arms. 

“Klaus and I are taking Hope to the Bayou for the day. It won’t be long before word starts to spread, and we might have come up   
with a way to gain her more protection.” 

Elijah’s hand covers your own, “Good luck.” 

She smiles, “Thanks, I’m going to need it. I’ve got to keep your brother from completing patricide.” 

Elijah nods once, “I wish you luck. From what I hear he was particularly determined with Mikael. Then again, I never would have stopped that particular murder.” 

Hayley just rolls her eyes. 

You watch her go, and when she closes the door, you turn to Elijah, “Does this mean we have time to ourselves? Like normal time? No werewolves chasing us? No witches coming straight for us? No psychotic parents?”   
He lets out a laugh, “Not at the moment.” 

“Then what are we going to do with ourselves?” 

He pulls you onto his lap, “I thought we could go shopping. Replace the things you lost when your home was attacked.” 

You pause at that, “Speaking of which, have you heard from Rebekah? It’s been a few days.” 

Elijah kisses you, “Your concern is touching, but I assure you the matter has been taken care of.” 

You look at him, “Taken care of how?” 

He kisses you again, and you can feel your stomach fill with butterflies, “I sent an old friend of hers to locate her. He’s quite   
capable, I assure you.” You stare at him for a moment, before standing up and going to get dressed in something other than   
pajamas. 

Elijah had always had a bit of a problem with spoiling the women he loved and cared about. He’d always been willing to buy   
Rebekah whatever she wished despite his sister having assets of her own. The same could be said of Katerina, and later Celeste.   
But with you he found it was different. You searched for practical things, instead of high end places. You were used to a budget, and you shopped with the eye of a bargain hunter. The two of you had argued for ten minutes when he’d laid down his credit card. 

You’d argued that you had a modest savings and that you were not going to mooch off of him. He had argued that the two of you were connected for the rest of eternity and what was his was yours. In the end, you had compromised. He had let you buy the clothes at your chosen store, but he got to buy at his chosen store. 

You’d been willing to humor him, until you saw where he was dragging you to. You’d turned around and started walking the other way, but he had captured your hand and led you in with all the confidence of someone who regularly bought nine thousand dollar suits. 

It hadn’t been everyday wear, instead it was party dresses and ballgowns. The kind your mother had bought for homecoming court and the annual county pageant. On the other hand, Elijah had better taste than your mother. He was also very smart, he refused to let you see the price tag of anything he bought. You decided to let it go. Relationships were about give and take, and you’d both won a little something today.

Still, by the time you got home you were more than a little exhausted. Shopping had that power over you. Your mother had been the queen of all day shopping trips. “Well it’s about bloody time you got back.” Your eyes stop on the blonde sitting in front of you, “Elijah please tell me you didn’t let her pick her own clothes.” 

Out of the corner of your eye, you watch him smile, “Y/N is a big girl, I assure you, and more than capable of picking out her own outfits. Welcome home, sister.” 

Rebekah simply rolls her eyes, “Three days I wandered around that town with a werewolf bite, and instead of coming yourself, you send Marcel?” 

Elijah sets the bags down, “I’m afraid I’ve been a bit busy.” 

Her eyes narrow, “With what, exactly?” 

You watch as a small smile takes over his face, “She said my words Rebekah, and I said hers. They match.” 

You watch her eyes go wide, and in the blink of an eye she’s in front of you, “Show me.” It’s a demand if you’ve ever heard one, and you briefly consider asking her what the magic word is. Instead, you pull your shirt down and slightly over to show her Elijah’s words on your skin. 

The smile that takes over her face is one of joy, and a second later she has her brother in a hug, “You are forgiven.” She squeezes him tight, “I am so happy for you ‘Lijah.” 

He kisses her cheek, “Thank you, Rebekah.” 

She turns to you, “That makes you my sister, and me a matchmaker.” You open your mouth to contradict that statement but before you can the sound of bickering hits your ears. As Rebekah walks out to see what’s going on, you smile at Elijah, and he smiles back. In three long strides, he’s in front of you, and then he’s kissing you. You sink into the kiss, and smile. 

When a window breaks, you sigh, and follow him out into the courtyard. Klaus is there staring down a man you've yet to meet, and Haley is glaring at him. When she catches sight of you, she walks over and takes a seat on the step next to you. "I love my daughter, I will and have killed for her, but it Klaus doesn't get his head out of his ass she's going to grow up without a father." 

You watch as Elijah steps in between Klaus and the man. "I'm guessing that's Klaus' dad."   
She nods, "Ansel. He's great with Hope, and he's helped unite the wolves. And Klaus has already tried to kill him despite the fact that I've brought up it would be nice for Hope to have one grandparent who isn't trying to kill her." 

"How did Ansel take it?" 

She shrugged, "Like it was nothing. Apparently he's been watching over Klaus from the other side. He knows him, and I think there's potential there, but . . ." 

You nod, and smiled when Hope holds out her arms to you. Haley smiles to, "Do you want to go to Aunt Y/N?"

The title isn't new to you. Your brothers have tons of kids. You've been Aunt Y/N since you were fourteen. You take the baby from her mother, and bounce her a bit as you watch your soulmate calm his brother down. And in that moment you can’t help but realize that this is your new normal, and despite the craziness of it all, you know this is where you’re supposed to be.


	7. Chapter 7

“They’re getting married?” 

Elijah nods, “Yes. Apparently the ceremony will allow the rest of her pack to take on her ability to control the shift at will.” 

You bounce Hope up and down as Elijah watches, “Does she love him?” 

“She cares for him, in time it could become love. In the meantime they are currently facing trials in the bayou, Klaus is sulking in his art studio, Rebekah is helping Marcel with his new vampire community, and we are on babysitting duty.” 

You smile at him, “Which you love.” 

He smiles back, and you pass him Hope, “I will admit that I quite enjoy spending time with this little one.” You watch him bounce the little girl, and she smiles at him, “I always wanted children.” he admits softly, “I was at an age where I should have already been married and had some when I was turned, but my mother was very against the idea of us marrying anyone other than our soulmates. My father thought it was ridiculous, but it was one issue my mother could not be swayed on.” 

“A romantic at heart?” You guess. 

He shakes his head, “A psychopath.” He pauses, “What about you?” 

You shrug, “Never gave it much thought. I was always determined to get out of that town. Figure out who I was. I always figured I could figure the other stuff out later.” 

Elijah nods, and the conversation is very carefully dropped. Half an hour later you lie Hope down for a nap when you hear the start of commotion downstairs. You glance at Elijah, and a second later he’s gone. There’s more shouting, and with one last look at Hope, you leave to figure out what exactly is going on. 

You come downstairs to find two groups of people facing off against each other. You recognize Kol, off to the side protecting a small brunette. You stay up on the balcony, away from the commotion. You watch as Elijah tries to calm whatever is brewing. That’s when he walks in. 

He’s not a friendly, you can see that much. Everything from his posture, to the scowl on his face. It reminds you of some of your students at the high school; he was looking for a fight and he wasn’t going to leave until he got one. 

“You went after our mother?” His screech is filled with underlying power, and the need to be near Elijah is so strong it has you running. You take the stairs two at a time drawing his attention. Sensing you, Elijah’s hand encloses around your own, before pulling you into his side. 

His attention focus’ on you, “She wasn’t wrong.” He scoffs, “How a beast like you, received this gift I’ll never know. The magic radiating off of the two of you, it’s sickening. The bond is supposed to be pure. It’s supposed to be a magic that helps to create a coven to protect those most important to us, and somehow you’ve manipulate that magic. Dirtied it. I can’t allow that to stand.” 

You feel it first, the aching headache, and then you’re on your knees the pain is so bad. You let out a scream, and then the tears come, it feels as though your brain is being compressed. In some part of your mind you can hear Elijah doing the same. Your hand reaches for him, and out of the corner of your eye you watch as the two surrounding groups are brought to their knees. 

Then you feel it, his hand in yours. Your fingers lock together, and then the pain is gone. Like a burst of energy it goes outward. You watch the man go flying. He stares at the two of you, and you watch blood run out of his nose. A second later he grips his head, He mutters out words to himself, before stumbling away. 

You look around at the surrounding groups. They’re all groaning, and appear to be in more than a little pain. Kol is the first to speak, “Well that was our brother Finn. As you can tell, he has anger issues.” 

Three smart ass replies come to mind, but instead the need to hurl comes over you. You stumble towards the bushes, and Elijah’s hands pull your hair back. When your stomach is empty a weariness comes over you. 

Together you and Elijah sink to the ground. He pulls you onto his lap, and wraps his arms around you. His voice is a growl, “What was that?” 

Kol stares at the two of you, “He tried to attack the bond.You haven’t sealed it yet, so it can still be broken.” 

“I don’t understand.” Your voice is hoarse. 

Kol sighs, “There are always loopholes to magic. There has to be. To keep any one coven from gaining too much power, there was a loophole created, a soulmate bond can be broken as long as it isn’t sealed. However, if it’s broken both parties die.” 

You groan, “So it was an assassination attempt?” 

“Yep, but the two of you found each other. That connection, skin touching skin, allowed the bond to flow and rebound. The pulse of magic sent the pain and dark magic back at him. Quite funny   
if you think about it. He probably thought the bond was a fake, or an imitation. Couldn’t even sense the real deal through all that hatred. Poor Finn. Still, if I can offer my original advice, seal the DAMN bond.” 

You want to say something, but you feel entirely too weak to do so. Elijah simply strokes you hair, and kisses your forehead and you allow yourself to fall asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

When you wake up, you’re wrapped around Elijah. One of his hands is stroking your back, while the other is holding a book. You watch him read for a minute, before nature calls. You untangle yourself before walking to the bathroom. When everything's said and done you climb back into bed beside him. 

You snuggle up to his chest, and his arm wraps around you. His book is gone. He kisses your forehead before asking, “How do you feel?” 

“Drained, like I pulled an eight hour shift in customer service.” 

“Kol said that would be normal.” 

You can feel him hesitate, “And what else did Kol say?” 

“That our bond will take a while to heal, because of the stress it was put under.” 

“Unless we seal it?”

He nods, “Yes. Once the bond is sealed, there’s very little that can harm us. It serves as a protection, and a link. You gain a certain level of invulnerability, and you’ll apparently age at a slower rate, which means you won’t have to transition right away.” 

You sit up, and allow yourself to think, you’d only been with him a few weeks. Despite that, you felt the pull, the need to be close to him, the need to complete the bond. Once you did however, there was no chance at your life ever going back to normal. But the pull in your heart told you that wasn’t possible anyway. 

His chin comes to rest on your shoulder, “What are you thinking about?” 

You kiss the tip of his nose, “What it means to complete the bond. How my life has changed forever.” 

“We don’t have to, if you’re not ready or . . . if you decide you don’t want to . . .” 

You smile at him, “I want to Elijah. Trust me I want to . . .”

“But?” 

You shake your head, “Nothing, the quicker we seal the bond the better off we’ll be.” Ever so slowly you lean forward and kiss him. His lips meet yours, and you fall into the kiss. When he pulls back you whine the tiniest bit. 

“No.” You pull back and stare at Elijah. He let’s out a little chuckle first, ‘We will, and soon, but first I want to take you on a date.” 

“A date?” 

He nods, “Start getting ready; hair make-up, go all out, you’ll find everything you need in the bathroom. We leave in two hours.” He kisses you one more time and then he’s gone. You shower, and when you step out Rebekah is waiting for you, an array of hair styling tools and makeup at her disposal. You take what she dishes out, and when she’s done she reappears with one of the dresses Elijah had bought you on your shopping trip. 

The dress is a deep red, with off the shoulder, lace sleeves, and falls to the floor. It’s classic and elegant, and makes you feel just a tad like a princess. You slip on a sensible heel and follow Rebekah out of the room and down to the court yard. 

Elijah is waiting for you, dressed in a tux. He smiles at the sight of you, and offers you his arm at the bottom of the stairs. You take it, mouth a quick thank you to Rebekah and allow him to escort you to his car. 

The drive through the city is smooth. He handles the car with the confidence of someone who’s been doing it for years. He pulls up in front of a garden, and you wait for him to open your door. You walk through the arches budding with flowers, until the sound of music hits your ears. There, in the middle of the gardens is a table for two. 

You take a seat and allow your eyes to wander the gardens, finally you give in and ask, “Where did you find this place?” 

He smiles, “I own this garden and the farm house behind us. I bought it shortly after moving back here. I find it’s always good to have a secondary residence in case Niklaus gets in one of his moods.”

You stare at the house, “It’s pretty. Reminds me of home.” 

He smiles, “Really?” 

You nod, “The town I come from is small, but pretty. A bit of a tourist trap. But it’s filled with these big old houses with the wrap around porches. I spent quite a few nights studying out on the porch while mom and dad would talk. I loved those moments, felt like the world was standing still.” 

“I’ve felt that way for centuries.” 

When you’re done with dinner you relax ever so slightly in your chair, “This was really nice of you.” 

He smiles at you, and takes your hand, “If you’re sure you want this, an eternity with me, I promise this won’t be our last night of romantic wooing.” 

You smile, “I don’t think I could walk away even if I wanted to.” With that, you allow him to lead you into the farmhouse, and seal the bond. 

When you wake up, you’re wrapped around Elijah. One of his hands is stroking your back, the other is playing with your fingers. You snuggle in closer to him, your skin against his. You can feel   
it now, the bond running through you, and connecting you to this man. There’d been no large explosion of magic, or visions running through your head, the bond had simply settled over the two of you with the sealing. A warm feeling had settled over your heart, as you became even more aware of Elijah. There was no sharing of thoughts, and for that you were grateful. 

You could however, faintly feel what Elijah was feeling. And as you peered up at him, and he smiled down at you, feelings of love and contentment and joy filled the bond, and you could only smile.


	9. Chapter 9

“Could you two be anymore disgusting?” 

You look up from your place on Elijah’s lap, to stare at scowling Klaus. You shift to move, but Elijah’s arm tightens around you. “I’m sure we could, if we tried. Would you like us to?” 

You bite your lip to keep from laughing, but that does little good. Instead you turn and bury your face in Elijah’s chest. Klaus’ voice becomes a growl, “Oh come off it. Yes your bond is sealed. And you’re all happy. But it’s been a bloody month, and if you don’t remember, we are at war! Our mother is trying to kill us, and our father is back from the grave, at the behest of a witch.” 

“Yes, Niklaus, I’ve noticed. Your snarling has even added an extra sense of urgency. This is why, instead of whisking my soulmate off to some fabulous destination, we are here, watching over your child, while you pout.” 

“Oh really, and where is my daughter?”

You take that one, your snickering finally under control, “In her room. Fast asleep.” You show him the video monitor.

He scowls, and Elijah says, “Now then, off with you.” 

You watch Klaus storm out before saying, “You enjoyed that, entirely too much.” 

He places a kiss on your shoulder, “It’s all true dear heart. But as soon as this disaster has been averted, I promise we’ll take a proper honeymoon, or perhaps have a wedding.” You roll your eyes, and scoot out of his lap. 

“To do either of those things means stopping what is happening. Which means we have to leave our room.” 

“That is the worst offer I have gotten this century.” 

You peck him on the lips, “Don’t pout Elijah, there’s no time.” 

He smiles, “I’m a vampire dear, I have all the time in the world.” 

You smile as you walk out of the room and down the stairs, Elijah right behind you, and then you freeze. You watch as workmen carry chairs and flowers around the open outdoor space, “Speaking of weddings.” 

Elijah’s arm wraps around your waist, “He’s turned it into a circus.” 

You press into Elijah’s side, “He certainly knows how to plan an event.” 

“Madness, the word you’re looking for is madness.” 

You peck his cheek, “I’m going to go find your sister so she can help me pick out something to wear.” 

He smirks, “You don’t trust my fashion taste?” 

You wink at him, “I don’t trust you not to rip my clothes off.” 

He lets out a laugh as you walk upstairs. You find Rebekah in the nursery watching Hope sleep. She smirks as you come to stand beside her, “You and my brother are disgustingly in love.” 

“Your smirk says you’re grossed out, but your eyes say you’re happy.” 

The smirk turns into a smile, “He deserves to be happy. I haven’t seen him like this in centuries to be honest.” She pauses, “Now then, what do you need help with?” 

“Picking out a dress for the wedding tonight.” 

“Excellent, I saw a pretty little red number that Elijah bought you that should work perfectly.” She links her arm with yours and the two of you walk out. The two of you spend the next several hours gossiping, taking care of Hope, and getting ready for the wedding. “So you and Marcel?” 

“A tumultuous past that shall not be repeated.” 

You smirk, as you take the curlers out of your hair, “So that kiss up against the far wall was what exactly?” 

“A fun mistake. Now, you watch Hope, and I’m going to go check on Hayley.” Before you can say anything she’s gone. You finish pinning your hair in place, before lowering yourself to the ground to play with Hope. You’re making her stuffed wolf dance when you feel his eyes one you. 

You smile at the sight of him, dressed in a tux, and leaning against the door frame, with a smile on his face. “What?” 

He clears his throat, “Nothing, just a passing thought.” 

He helps you to your feet before picking Hope up. There’s a touch of sadness in his face, and carefully, you lay your palm against his cheek, “Elijah.” 

“For a moment I saw you with our children, a future that can never exist. I simply yearned for something I thought long buried.” He turns his head to kiss your palm, before offering you his arm, “Shall we?” 

You take his arm and walk with him down the stairs and into the open. All eyes turn towards the two of you, and the magic in your bond starts to sizzle. It recognizes the threats in the room, and serves as a warning. The two of you take a seat at the front, next to Rebekah who quickly steals the baby away, and Kol who simply stares in disbelief. 

“He has a kid? Who the hell thought that was okay?” 

Rebekah smirks, “This is old news brother dear, where have you been?” 

The ceremony is short, and sweet and the party afterwards is a bit of a rager. You spend most of the night dancing with Elijah. He twirls you around the floor, and doesn’t let you out of his sight. 

Things only come to a halt when Finn shows up. He walks into the room with a man and a woman you don’t recognize at his side. You’re immediately pushed behind Elijah, and Hope is put in your arms. You quickly realize that they’re minimizing the bodies they need to protect, as Rebekah comes to stand on one side, and Kol the other. Quietly he whispers in your ear, “Do not leav Elijah’s side. The bond is strongest when you’re close together.” 

You nod, as the fear rises inside you. “Hello brothers and sister.” 

Klaus sighs, “Finn. You always did know how to ruin a party. And to bring father on top of that? It’s as though we’re in high school and you’re tattling.” 

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Or in this case, our father, and our sister . . .Freya. Long thought gone only to have returned. She is here to help end your demon spawn and their farce of a bond.” 

Elijah steps forward, unbuttoning his jacket as he does so, “If you even approach my soul mate or my niece, I will end you.” The anger bubbles onto Finn’s face, “LIES!!!!”

“No.” The woman’s voice is soft, and she allows a small smile on her face, “Our brother has found his soulmate. The magic that binds them is good and pure.” 

Finn’s mouth goes slack, “But Freya . . .”

“We do not interfere in the magic between soulmates. It is the oldest rule. You know this Finn. I’d even be willing to bet, that is their magic which called to me. That, and the magic of our little niece.” 

He tries again, “Freya.” 

She shakes her head, “No. We are here to present an united front, not to destroy our family. The only way we’ll stand a chance is if we stand together. My name is Freya. I am your older sister, and I come to deliver the news of a great evil that we must stop. Her name is Dahlia.”


	10. Chapter 10

You stare at your niece, “Auntie Y/N should be down there. Instead you and I have been banished up here. Hows that for a partnership? Hmm? Your uncle Elijah will be sleeping in his study tonight.” You smile at the baby, “Yes he will.” 

She giggles at you, before you put her in the crib, and flick the lights out. You pull the pins out of your hair as you walk to your room. A part of you is ready to simply collapse onto the bed when you catch sight of him. You freeze, and he offers what you can only describe as a predatory smile. “My newest daughter.” 

You swallow before straightening your spine. You leave the door open as you send panic through the bond to Elijah. He’s by your side a second later, and Mikael nods, “Excellent, both of you come in.”

Elijah’s arm wraps around your waist, “You have no right to be in here. And I have nothing to say to you.” 

“Really? Because I have everything to say to you? Come in boy, and close the door. The bond will protect you from any harm.” 

Slowly Elijah nudges you forward, before closing the door, “What do you want?” 

“A chance.” 

“A chance to what?” 

“A chance to start over. Know my son. Know my blood.” 

Elijah takes a step forward, “You hunted us for centuries.” 

“I hunted the bastard!” 

“It’s the same thing. He is my brother.” 

“And what happens when he determines that your wife is a threat? When she stands between him and you or him and his goal? What then? It is better to end the threat now.” 

You can feel it through the bond, the anger bubbling up inside of Elijah. You quickly take his hand. He squeezes your hand once, and you can feel him begin to calm down. “It won’t happen.” 

“It wouldn’t be the first time. Katerina? Celeste? Only this time you would lose the other half of your soul. That’s all I wish to bring to your attention.” 

“And your solution?” 

“Come with me. We’ll return to Europe. Leave the bastard here with his own bastard. Build ourselves a life, and protect your soulmate, and allow your sister a chance to live.” 

Elijah scoffs, “You only target me, because you know the others will visit.” 

“Or perhaps I’m getting sentimental in my old age. Think about it my son.” 

He moves to walk around Elijah, and Elijah moves with him, making sure to block you from sight the entire time. When he’s gone you let out a sigh of relief. Elijah proceeds to check you over, “Did he hurt you?” 

You shake your head and move further into the room. You pull off your shoes, before removing the earrings, and the rest of your jewelry. You pause and let Elijah unzip your dress before you let it fall to the ground. Quietly Elijah moves to you, and places his hands on your hips. You busy yourself with undoing his tie, and then pushing off his jacket. He undoes his shoes, and you smile as he takes you to bed. 

You wake up in the morning to Elijah, pressing kisses into your skin. You’re still half asleep, but you roll over towards him and ask, “How’d you sleep?” 

“Considering you’d been about to banish me to my office last night, I’m doing incredibly well.” 

Your eyes narrow, “That’s right, I’m still mad at you.” 

“I wish you wouldn’t be.” 

You get out of bed and move to the bathroom. You take care of your business, and brush your hair and teeth before returning to bed. “It’s my life too, Elijah. I should have a choice.” 

“I want to protect you, and the things we’re dealing with are dangerous.” 

“I know. That’s why I need to be prepared. Keeping me safe and uninformed does nothing to help me.” 

With a sigh he tells you about Dhalia. “Your family is twisted.” 

He nods and kisses the top of your head, “Very. I should follow my father’s advice and get you out of here.” 

You sigh, “We can’t. Always is a promise.” 

He looks at you, “It wasn’t your promise.” 

You kiss him, “The minute you said those words, it became my promise.” 

He smiles, before he cups your face and kisses you long and slow. When you break apart he says, “I love you my dear heart.” 

“I love you too Elijah.” 

The two of you stare at each other in bliss, before a scream pierces the air. Elijah is dressed and out the door before you can stop him. You pause long enough to pull on one of his shirts, which hit you mid thigh before following him. What you see there, makes you want to be sick. You see a beheaded woman there, and you stare at Elijah. 

Klaus stares at you, “The head witch of the covens. A message from our dear aunt. Ready to run yet love?” 

You give him a saccharine sweet smile, “If I didn’t run when I saw you, I don’t think I’ll be running now.” 

Klaus’ lips purse for a second before saying, “I’m choosing to take that as a compliment.” 

Elijah’s lips tip upward, and quietly you ask, “What about your mother?” 

“Currently a newbie vampire. She went after my brother and I’m not very forgiving.” 

“Something we have in common it seems.” Your eyes flicker to Freya, and you feel curiosity wash over you. She offers you a small smile, “Our mother is unimportant. What matters now is   
killing Dahlia.” 

Elijah glances back at you, before slowly saying, “She has a point Niklaus.”

A chill goes through your spine as Mikal comes to stand behind you, “And after all, it’s been so long since we’ve been on a family hunting trip.”

Klaus scowls, “Either way arrangements have been made. Hayley, Jackson, the pack, and Y/N will go to our new magic free zone provided by Freya. And the rest of us shall go hunt the crazy witch that is our aunt.”


	11. Chapter 11

The old jazz club is quiet. There’s a little whispering among the wolves, but other than that it’s quiet. You alternate shifts with Hayley of holding Hope. You’re bouncing the baby up and down when you hear her voice, “You’ll make a wonderful mother.” 

It takes everything you have, not to scream. Instead you turn around to face her, “You have a death wish.” 

She shakes her head, “No, I simply crave what’s mine. And that child, through her grandmother’s deal, is mine.” 

You shake your head, “You can’t own another human being.” 

She scowls, “We’re so much more than mere mortals. Even you. After all, no ordinary person could be the soulmate of a vampire . . .or former vampire as the case may be.” 

Your brow furrows, “Excuse me?” 

She smiles, “The bond is a good and pure magic. A part of nature. Everything your soulmate is, goes against it. The bond is fixing him, and he doesn’t even realize it.” 

“I don’t understand.” 

She paces a bit in front of you, “Tell me, have you seen him drink blood recently? I imagine the cravings are slowly fading, and along with it the immortality.” At the look of horror on your face she amends, “There’s a lot of work for your bond to do. The line from which my sister and I hale is a sacred one. My sister went against nature and against magic when she married that brute instead of waiting for her soulmate. She destroyed that bond when she made them vampires. 

The child in your arms jumpstarted the line. And now nature intends to extend it, through you and darling Elijah. Nature allowed him his soulmate, but at a price. The bond is slowly turning him into an . . . evolved version of a mortal. He will need food and water to survive, but no blood. The strength and speed with which he has become accustomed will be diminished, stronger than the normal man but less so than his siblings. The rapid healing will remain, but the ability to come back from dying will not. And he will begin to age again. About one year for every ten he lives. Should give the two of you enough time to rebuild the line. After all the bond combines two as one, which means the very things that are happening to him, shall happen to you.” 

“You’re lying.” 

She shakes her head, “No, the ancestors whispered to me while I slept. Told me of this moment. I imagine they told Freya the same thing. And while you were mortal, and Elijah was never very good with magic your children shall excel in it. Especially the one resting your womb, first born and all.” 

You take several steps back, “You’re a liar. It’s not possible.” 

“It became possible the moment you two sealed the bond, an extraordinary piece of magic really. It’s what allowed Freya and I to wake up a few years early.” 

Having heard enough, you yell, “Jackson! Hayley! She’s here!” 

The two show up a second later with an armed guard, and you pass Hayley her daughter. An ill feeling overtakes you, and you run to the toilet. You’re so busy being sick that you never see the blow to the back of your head coming. You simply black out. 

You wake up sometime later to Elijah calling your name. He’s blurry at first but at the sight of your eyes opening he smiles, “Thank god you’re alright.” 

You wince as you sit up, “What happened?” 

“Hayley and the wolves ran. Niklaus has joined forces with our aunt, and my father is now on a murderous rampage against my brother and aunt.” 

You stand with his help, “Dahlia was here.”

He nods, “I know. Freya is tracking her and Niklaus. We need to get back to the compound. The magic has left this place.” 

You nod, and follow him to the car. You stand in the background as he and Freya talk about what needs to be done. And when Elijah has retreated to his study, you ask her, “Is it true?” 

Freya’s eyes slide to you, “She told you I see.” 

“Is it true?” 

She nods, “I imagine the heart will start beating any day now. It’s been a little over a month since you sealed the bond, yes?” 

Your eyes flash to the stairs, “He needs to know.” 

“I need to know what?” You stare at Elijah as he descends the stairs. 

You close your eyes, “Freya will tell you.” 

You head up to your room, and you pace, as everything finally hits. Your soulmate is a vampire. Witches and magic are real. You were in love with a vampire. You were quite possibly pregnant, if the baby-obsessed witch was correct. 

You’re near the point of hyperventilating when a hand settles in between your shoulder blades. A moment later you hear Elijah whisper, breath dear heart, breathe. You do as he says and when you’re calm you say, “Your family sucks.” 

He gives you a smile and says, “We will talk about this in length later. Right now, I need to go help my family.” 

You grasp his hand, “If what they say is true, you’re not indestructible anymore.” 

He kisses you, “I promise you, that I will come home. But right now, I must go put an end to a threat to our family.” 

The next several days end in a blur, between a resurrection of a dead mother, the death of a deranged aunt, and a curse on the wolves. When Elijah comes home he’s bruised and bloody, and mad. 

He brushes past Niklaus without a second look, while Kohl, Finn, and Rebekah gaze on in amusement. You follow him to your room, and watch as he begins to pack. You sit on the bed and after several minutes you ask, “What happened.” 

“Dahlia is dead, both my parents are alive, along with ?y mother’s lover apparently. My brother is a vindictive bastard who has cursed his daughter’s mother to spending all but one night a month on four paws, and we are not staying here any longer. We will take Hope, and go somewhere safe.” 

“Is that wise? You know how he gets. And what about Hayley? She’ll want to see her daughter.” 

He freezes, “They’ll know soon. About what’s happening to me. About you.” He nods at your stomach, and lowers his voice, “I don’t want our child raised around Niklaus, my mother or my father.” 

“And the rest of your family?” 

“May visit, after putting in a request two weeks ahead of time.” 

You roll your eyes, “Elijah.” 

And he finally pauses, “We’re going to the farm house. Close enough that we can keep an eye on Hope, but far enough away that we may avoid some of the fray.” 

You roll your eyes, “We won’t be avoiding anything.”

“Except my family on a daily basis.” 

You smile and settle onto the bed, and simply watch him pack.


	12. Chapter 12

If you were forced to describe your situation, you’d use the word seclusion. You’d been held up in the farm house for the past three weeks, with only your books, Elijah, and occasionally Hope for company. In a lot of ways it had been an amazing time. It had given the two of you time to get to know one another, discover each other’s quirks. 

Your time together had given way to tiny little touches in passing, and a quick peck on the lips when he’d leave to get hope. It was easy to imagine that things were at peace. But as the saying goes, “All good things, must come to an end.” The day your’s came to an end was the day Elijah’s family stormed the farm house. The two of you had been lying in bed, reading when Rebekah had shown up at the door. 

You had to resit the urge to cover your belly with your hand, and instead stayed nestled in Elijah’s side. “Hello brother.”

Elijah’s eyebrow rose slightly, “I’m in no mood to play games Rebekah, what do you want?” 

In an instant she’s across the room, the door closed behind her, “I came to warn you, that your little secret has been let loose. Mother knows. Father knows. The witches know. We all know. And we need to take your little soulmate, and get the hell out of dodge.” 

You stiffen at her words, “How the hell does everyone know?” 

She scowls, “The ancestors were rather chatty. And apparently your future offspring is going to be rather powerful and everyone wants a claim. I’m thinking France. The countryside?” Before you can say anything she’s zooming around the room, while you and Elijah simply watch. 

When she notices neither of you moving she says, “Well, what are you waiting for? Chop! Chop!” 

You can feel that Elijah is barely keeping his amusement concealed as he says, “Would you mind giving us a moment?” 

“One and not a second more! I’ll grab the pictures.” 

Your eyes slide to your soulmate, “Your entire family is crazy.” 

“We passed crazy centuries ago. That being said her idea does have merit. The French countryside is lovely. I have a home there.” 

You sit up, untangling yourself from your soulmate, “Wouldn’t that make us an easy target, if everyone knows you have a home there?” 

He shrugs, “Not particularly. The witches and their magic are bound to New Orleans, which means my mother and older brother are forced to stay here. Niklaus won’t leave, because of some silly notion of home and a claim. My father may come after us, but he can be dealt with. Rebekah would come with us, but Khol will stay because of Davina. So, essentially we are in the clear.”

“Only until word leaks out about an Original with a soulmate, brother mine.” 

You close your eyes at the sound of a new voice, and stare at the unknown man in front of you. A second later you’re behind Elijah, as he stares down Khol. The man smiles before saying, “Mother would like a word.” 

“Mother can rot in hell, and get out of my home, along with you Finn.” 

Rebekah appears a moment later, “Too late, the whole family is here. I told you to hurry.” 

Elijah frowns, “Now is not the time for ‘I told you so.’ little sister. Everyone out of our room, we’ll be out in a few moments.” 

Once the door closes behind his siblings Elijah says, “Three months, we had three months of peace.” 

You smile, “Your family is a pain Elijah.” 

He nods, “Agreed, and now we must face the pain head on. Time to get dressed.” 

You take your time slipping out of your comfy clothes and into a dress that flows. You’d only started showing a little, and the dress hides your barely there bump. Before you leave the room, Elijah kisses you long and slow, his hand cradling your belly gently, before taking your hand and leading you down the stairs. 

You stay behind him, eyeing his family warily. His mother smiles at the sight of the two of you, and takes several steps forward before Rebekah steps in her way, “Three feet away from my new sister, and niece or nephew mother.” 

Ester scowls, “The child is of my line.” 

Michael growls, “That is where you are wrong woman, the child is of my line. You can have the half breed’s child.” And just like that any chance of a discussion is gone, and in its place is yelling.

Taking a seat on the stairs you say, “France is sounding better and better.” 

And just like that the arguing stops, and Ester steps forward, “France? The child needs a coven. It needs New Orleans. This is where it was conceived, and where it will do the most good.” 

Khol rolls his eyes, “Says the woman who created vampires.” 

“Never mind that, think of survival. The minute people know you are no longer immortal they will be after you Elijah, to end your sire line. Here we can protect you.” 

Elijah rolls his eyes, “Protect me? You can’t even have a discussion without descending into yelling, and yet you ask me to put my soul mate and unborn child in your protection?” 

As a new wave of yelling starts up, you slip out the door, and onto the porch. You take a seat on the swing there, and enjoy the warmth of the sun. When the door creaks open, you stiffen when he walks out. “Come to try and kill me again?” 

“No, Freya has asked for my help in protecting you, and my niece or nephew, I’ve agreed.” 

You nod, “And your new look?” 

He shrugs, “My original body. Freya brought me back to it, and surprisingly I don’t hate it like I once did.” 

You lean back a bit, “Oh.” 

He shrugs, “Your bond with Elijah is authentic, he’s slowly becoming human again. He has a child on the way. Everything I ever wanted. It gives me hope that I may one day have it. So, I will protect you, and my brother. And my niece or nephew, because they will be a witch.” 

You nod once before standing, “Excuse me, if I don’t automatically trust you. I have trust issues with those who once tried to kill me.” 

Without another word you leave the porch behind for the garden. It’s the same maze of flowers that you and Elijah had your first date in. You smile at the memory, before someone asks, “Lost in a memory?” 

You smile at Elijah, “Our first date.” 

He smiles, before walking over to you and taking your hand. The two of you walk in silence for several minutes before you ask, “Have our fates been decided?” 

He scowls, “They’re still arguing, Rebekah is still packing, and I’m trying to figure out a way to fake our death so they don’t come after us.” 

You smile, before you kiss him. The two of you continue walking before you admit, “They have a point. You’re not indestructible anymore, and no offense but your family has more than a few enemies. Their help may not be a bad thing.” 

Elijah shrugs, “No but it may very well drive us insane.” 

You pause, “Your aunt said something that night, that this baby is the first of several.”

Elijah smiles, “And?” 

“I want that. I want a big family with you. I had four brothers and I loved it. And while your family is insane, I know you love your siblings, and wouldn’t trade them for the world. But to get that future we may need some help.” 

He pauses for a minute, “I haven’t been this vulnerable in over a century. My family has   
not been together like this in over a century. Trouble is on the horizon, and I suspect the only way we get through this is together.” 

You squeeze his hand, “You and me until the end of the line.”


End file.
